Entertainment venues in York could be taxed

5 percent fee being considered

A night out can be very expensive, that's why people choose their entertainment carefully.

One Susquehanna Valley city is considering making people pay more for tickets to venues.

Tickets to get inside Sovereign Stadium to see a baseball game could cost more. City officials said these are the types of venues that could cost 5 percent more.

When asked if an entertainment fee would impact their decisions, York residents had mixed feelings.

"I would definitely do it. There's a lot of good programs going on downtown. I would like to support it," said Alex Dwyer of York.

"Financially, I'm hurting, so I have to be selective on entertainment, so adding extra fee could deter people," said Christine Dejuliis of York.

People scaling back on spending in lieu of a fee is what other city officials are afraid of.

York Mayor Kim Bracey said the city also has to be fiscally responsible.

"We are looking to not raise taxes for 2013, so we are looking at other areas of revenue possibilities and that is just one," Bracey said.

The city has been looking at a 5 percent admissions fee for years. In fact, it has been built into the budget year after year, but the fee has never been collected.

"We have to have the capacity, staff level knowledge, to reach out to all the entities moving forward," Bracey said.

The entities are the businesses that would be affected. The mayor said non-profits would be exempt.

The extra fee is expected to generate about $150,000 a year for the city. It may sound like a drop in the bucket, but with York facing increased pension and health care costs, officials said every little bit helps.

York officials did not make it clear whether the fee will be enforced next year. Bracey said she wants to reach out to all the businesses affected first.

The York Revolution president said he has a great relationship with the city and he is all ears to have a discussion when the city is ready to talk about the fee.

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